Union's approval of pact averts Exxon Mobil refinery strike

Exxon Mobil Corp. has averted a strike at its Baytown refinery, one of the world's largest sources of gasoline and diesel fuels, after a union there ratified a new agreement with the oil giant.

The United Steelworkers union, which represents about 850 workers at the refinery, threatened to strike last month after Exxon Mobil did not go along with some worker proposals for safety improvements, the union said.

"People get exhausted, and that's when they make mistakes and problems happen," she said.

Exxon Mobil also agreed to create a full-time "process safety representative," which the union recommended as a way to help identify and propose solutions for safety issues at the refinery.

"We've had so many incidents that have happened and near misses that could have been serious events," Hancock said. "This is a person who is going to inspect the pipes, who is going to be looking at all of the processes and make sure they are working."

Exxon Mobil spokeswoman Patty Errico said in a statement that the company is pleased that the union ratified the new agreement.

"We want to thank our employees for their continued dedication and support throughout this process," Errico said.

The agreement also incorporates annual raises of 3 percent for two years.

With capacity of 573,000 barrels of oil per day, the Baytown refinery is the nation's second-largest after the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, owned jointly by Shell and Saudi Aramco.